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Laying Train Track On Cork
George has a question for you:
“Trying to lay cork using center of track is frustrating because its difficult to mark the actual line with the track in place on the plywood. What is needed is a tool to mark the center line. Doing it by eye creates a very unprecice line. I thought of using a two wheel truck and making the dot through the mounting hole on the truck. In practice it didn’t work too well. Using a pencil through the hole wasn’t much better. What is needed is a marking pencil firmly mounted to the truck hole. Is there any such tool available?”
Add your comments.
How To Make A Wall Hanging For Your Train Room
Most of us focus on our layouts, and forget about the total room setting. It usually pays to have some comfortable seating even if its in an adjacent room to relax and talk trains with friends.
Here’s a simple idea for a wall hanging using low relief buildings. The wall hanging is easy to make and would be a interesting talking point with others in the hobby.
If you decide to make one of these wall hangings, feel free to send in a photo so we can publish it on the blog. Use this link to get in touch http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/submit-questions.html to provide some details about where you will be hanging it etc.
Turnouts and Switches
Russ seeks guidance from others in the hobby and asks:
“I am using a 060 Tank locomotive to test my atlas turnouts. When working slowly it stops – when working faster it can derail.
As it goes through the points the loco seems to rise a little. What am I doing wrong?”
Add your comment to help Russ.
Low Relief Buildings Made Into Artwork For Model Railroad
Here’s an interesting idea.
Mike sent in these photos to share. He downloaded some low relief building plans for his model railroad layout and decided to also make an extra copy and glue them onto an artist canvas panel. The ready-made artist canvas panel cost him $12.95.
He painted it in trendy colors and glued the low relief buildings onto the painted panel. He then hung the finished artwork (like a 3D painting) on the wall above his layout.
Malcolm got the low relief buildings from http://www.modelbuildings.org
LED Headlights on Model Trains
Marc asks readers:
Hi, Just wondering if anyone else uses LED’s to upgrade loco headlights? I use super bright white for my Diesels and they look amazing. They’re so bright that they actually light up scenery etc like the real thing when running in the dark. I love them, and think they’re heaps better than standard lights, and far more realistic.
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Soldering Nickel Silver Rail to Printed Circuit Board
Jason sent in these soldering tips to share:
When soldering nickel silver rails to PC board ties both surfaces need to be thoroughly clean and oil free. You can used an acid based flux for cleaning the surfaces, which will help produce a good looking, reliable solder joint.
When doing this you are not building an electronic circuit, so using an acid based flux for turnout construction is okay. Unlike with electronic circuitry, the soldering joints will mainly provide mechanical strength, so that the completed track can easily be scrubbed clean using a wire brush to remove the acid residue.
The word “acid” sounds frightening, but the acid in acid based flux is really quite mild, and as long as you use a wire brush to thoroughly scrub clean the track, you shouldn’t have any problems.
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Tips For Constructing LOW RELIEF Buildings
Low relief buildings are simply buildings that have only 1, 2 , or 3 sides. When placed directly in front of a background they give the impression of being complete 3D structures. This can save a lot of space and give the impression the model railroad stretches much further into the distant landscape than is the case. Construction low relief buildings is surprisingly easy when you know how. These short videos will show you the simple step by step process.
Constructing Low Relief Model Railroad Buildings – Part 1
Having low relief buildings positioned against a wall or backdrop can really give a model railroad a sense of perspective and trick the mind into believing the model railroad scene is bigger than it actually is.
You can download the PDF plans for this model railroad street scene at http://www.modelbuildings.org/low-relief-buildings.html They can easily be scaled to the size you want, but remember you might want to make them a bit smaller than the scale you are operating as the buildings will probably be in the distance.
Constructing Low Relief Model Railroad Buildings – Part 2
POLL RESULTS : What do you most like to model?
329 model railroaders responded to our recent poll which asked – What do you most like to model?
Here’s what they said:
>> Scenery (32%, 105 Votes)
>> Buildings (30%, 98 Votes)
>> Locomotives (24%, 80 Votes)
>> Rolling stock (9%, 31 Votes)
>> Bridges (5%, 15 Votes)
Add your comment to this post.
Bachmann Spare Parts
Gil asks others in the hobby for advice:
“Where can I purchase spare parts for N gauge Bachmann Plymoth Shunter – Bachmann only want to sell me a complete chassis – $40.00 – all I want is the Drive Wheels that merge with the worm gear- they are kidding – no spare parts now means I have a perfectly good engine that can’t now be used.”
Comment below.
Shipping Containers Add Realism To Model Railroads
A quick look around any real railroad or port will show a range of shipping containers stacked on trains, in yards, on ships, and on wharves. They will probably vary greatly in appearance as some will be reasonably new and others will be old and rusty perhaps with scrapes, dents, and even graffiti plastered all over them.
You might even spot some old shipping containers used to store goods on an industrial site or on a farm. This is because old shipping containers are relatively inexpensive to buy, they can be made very secure, and they are very easily modified (inside). That is why is can be an excellent idea to include scaled down shipping containers on a model railroad layout. They will add character and realism to any scene.
This short video shows the easy way to make model shipping containers that look extremely real. After downloading the PDF file you can print out any number you require.
Analog and DCC Wires, Engines and Transformers
Richard has a question for readers:
“My layout is not wired yet. However I have all analog engines, I would also like to buy DCC engines. How can I run both? I have analog transformers now , should I also buy a DCC transformer? Can I wire my set up to be able to run both type engines? Thanks for any help.”
Add your suggestions.
Tips Using Water-Based Model Paints
There are various brands of acrylic model paints including Testor, Tamiya, Polly Scale, and Accu-Flex and they are easy to use, and clean up afterwards. The other benefits are that they work well in an airbrush, they dry quickly, and stick well to most surfaces. The main downside with acrylic model paints is you need to be careful with traces of oil from your fingers or from lubricants as that can repel the paint. After all, oil and water don’t mix. To avoid this, properly clean your plastic model with water and detergent before applying the paint. A toothbrush can remove dust and oil from recessed detail areas.
Paint flow can also be a problem in some situations. The trick is to add a wetting agent to the acrylic paint when diluting it. Add a couple of drops of dish-wash detergent in a pint of water.
POLL RESULTS – What do you prefer to use to do switch work on your (or someone else’s) layout?
Here are the results of last weeks poll which asked: What do you prefer to use to do switch work on your (or someone else’s) layout?
>> 4 – axle switcher (42%, 147 Votes)
>> Steam Loco (33%, 117 Votes)
>> 4 – axle road unit (18%, 63 Votes)
>> 6 – axle road unit (4%, 14 Votes)
>> I don’t operate model trains (3%, 13 Votes)
Total Voters: 354
Constructing A Scale Model Church For A Model Railroad Layout
I’m sure you’ll agree that this scale model church looks very authentic and would fit nicely on most model railroads if the scene allows for it. Of course not every model railroad has a town, but most do. Watch this short video to see how it take shape from start to finish.It can be constructed in OO scale, in HO scale, or in N scale, or Z scale.
Have a go constructing this model church and send in a photo to have it published on the blog.
The plans can be downloaded from http://www.modelbuildings.org/church-B423.html
How To Find Industries To Model?
If you are looking for industries to model, chances are that you already have a railway route map in mind or you are just randomly doing this. It doesn’t matter what your plans are, the best way to find industries to model is using Google Map to locate the locations and get an aerial view of the railway layout in the area so that you can create the place as it is. Google maps will give you a 3D impression and better understanding on the depth of field, which is essential in creating models. The second step is to get some photographs online to closely inspect every detail of the industry and recreate it with ideal materials.
Constructing Model Railway Scenery Made Simple
Brian Miller’s Model Railroad Scenery Construction Techniques e book is well worth a read if you are building a model train layout. He covers all the basics from applying ground cover, constructing rocks and cliffs, bench-work construction, to making streets and sidewalks, creating rivers and pond etc. Brian has a great grasp of the topic and his experience shines through.
His ebook is available now from http://www.modelrailwayscenery.org/model-railroad-scenery.html
Building an Engine Shed Workshop for your Locomotives
Many model railroad layouts feature a marshaling yard, mainline and branch line, maybe a harbor (with train ferry) and perhaps a town, an industry or two and some countryside or a river and mountains. The possibilities are endless. However, one thing most model railroads have in common is at least one or more engine sheds for locomotive storage and maintenance. This quick video shows a simple, inexpensive way to build an engine shed for your model trains. I comes in a concrete finish or a metal sheet finish. The http://www.modelbuildings.org/Engine-Shed-Workshop-B436.html website also has another engine shed design to choose from if you want to add more than one to your layout.
Winter Scenes On A Model Railroad
Leon asks readers:
“Hi, would anyone have pictures, tips, ideas for winter scenes in model railroading? I’m in S scale but the scale is not important here.”
Add your comments.
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